Container



I. FUTTERMAN May 2, 1967 CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1964 INVENTOR. [rw'ng H/fferman BY 9/, 77 mm 1 r m I. FUTTERMAN May 2, 1967 CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1964 INVENTOR. fmhg fi/fferman BY 77am 1L6 United States Patent O 3,317,112 CONTAINER Irving Futterman, 1523 Fielding St., Bronx, N.Y. 10469 Filed May 6, 1964, Ser. No. 365,412 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-49) This invention relates to an improved dispensing container and has particular reference to a container formed from an integral blank of flexible material such as paper, plastic and cardboard.

The invention provides a container with an inner compartment having four side walls and one end wall, and a sleeve in contact with and positioned around the inner compartment. This sleeve, which also has four side walls and one end wall, can slide relative to the inner compartment. The inner compartment stores the articles which are to be placed in and dispensed from the container. In the assembled container, the single end walls of the inner compartment and the sleeve will provide the end walls for the entire container. However, since the inner compartment and the sleeve each has four side walls, the side walls of the finished container will be of double thickness giving the container added strength.

The container when assembled has a novel opening feature which allows a portion of one side wall of the inner compartment to peel away from the rest of the side wall and thereby form the opening into the space of the inner compartment. This is accomplished by means of a tab which is part of the sleeve and also part of the peelable side wall of the inner compartment. When the inner compartment is pushed out of the sleeve, the sleeve portion of the tab will pull on that portion of the tab which forms part of the peelable side wall of the inner compartment, causing the portion of the side Wall to move away and provide access into the space of the inner compartment.

These and additional details of the structure of the present invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank suitably scored and cut to form the container;

FIG. 2 shows a partial assembly of the container formed from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a more advanced stage in the partial assembly of the container;

FIG. 4 shows the completed assembly with the top wall of the container lifted away from a closed position;

FIG. 5 shows the assembled container in the position which provides access to the inner compartment.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the blank illustrated therein provides for an inner compartment comprised of that portion of the blank which extends above fold line 38 and includes the side walls and 12, which are connected by the bottom or end wall 14, and two additional side walls each of which consists of a pair of flaps 24 and 28, and 26 and 30 respectively.

In assembling the inner compartment, the side walls 10 and 12 are folded at right angles to the end wall 14 and then flaps 20 and 22 are also folded at right angles to end .wall 14 to partially close the gap between the bottom of side walls 10 and 12. Flaps 28 and 30, attached to side wall 12, are folded inward and overlapped upon flaps 20 and 22 respectively, and flaps 24 and 26, attached to side wall 10, are folded inward and overlapped upon flaps 28 and 30 respectively. The overlapped flaps are joined permanently as by gluing or equivalent means. The inner compartment is now in assembled form as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Side wall 12 is cut or perforated along lines 32 and 34. This cut or perforated section is capable of peeling away from the side wall 12 to form an opening in one 3 ,317,112 Patented May 2, 1967 wall, in this case side wall 12 of the inner compartment and thereby provide access to the inner compartment when the container is in an opened position. The spacing and length of lines 32 and 34, which may be straight or curved, will determine the shape and size of the opening into the inner compartment. In order to increase the length of the opening into the inner compartment, lines 32 and 34 can be made longer. The length of the cut or perforated lines 32 and 34 can be extended until the lines are adjacent end wall 14. The width of the opening into the inner compartment can also be enlarged by moving the cut or perforated lines 32 and 34 toward the fold lines 29 and 30 respectively.

Tab means 36 is integrally attached to the peelable portion of side wall 12 and forms part of the outer sleeve of the container. In continuing the assembly of the container, tab means 36 is folded along the score line 38 until it is adjacent the side wall 12. Thereafter the side wall 42 of the outer sleeve is folded upwardly along score line 40 into overlapping position on tab means 36. The container at this stage of assembly is shown in FIG. 3.

'Now, in the final stage of assembly of the container, side walls 44, 4-6 and 48 and flap 50 are folded along the score lines indicated in FIG. 3, and wrapped around the already assembled inner compartment. More specifically the side wall 48 is overlapped on flap 24, side wall 44 on flap 26 and side wall 46 on side wall 10. The flap 50 is inserted between the side wall 10, and the side wall 46 and permanently fastened to side wall 46 by gluing or equivalent means.

The top end wall of the assembled container is in two portions 52 and 54, portion 54 being provided for insertion between tab means 36 and side wall 42 to close the container. FIG. 4 shows the completed container with the top end wall just prior to such insertion for closing the container.

In opening the container, pressure is exerted against end wall 14 of the slidable inner compartment, forcing the inner compartment to move out from within the outer sleeve. This causes the top end wall of the container to flip open and also causes the connecting tab means 36 to peel back the section of side wall 12, which is bounded by cut or perforated lines 32 and 34. Access into the space of the inner compartment is thereby provided through side wall 12, as illustrated in FIG. 5. As previously pointed out, the shape and size of the access opening thus formed will be determined by the length and spacing of the cuts or perforations 32 and 34.

While the invention has now been described and illustrated in proportions appropriate for holding articles such as cigarettes or cigars, the container of the invention can 'be varied in size as desired for use in connection with such articles as soap, powder, pills, matches or the like.

It will be further understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the described form of the structure herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container formed from a single blank of sheet material comprising an inner compartment only one side wall of which is provided with two spaced lines of perforations, an outer sleeve positioned around the inner compartment and slidable with respect thereto, said outer sleeve being connected to said inner compartment by tab means which are attached to that portion of the side wall of the inner compartment which is bouned by said spaced perforations said tab means forming a wall between the said side wall of the inner compartment which is connected to the tab means and the said outer sleeve and said bounded portion of the side wall being movable by said tab means to provide access into the inner compart- 1:9 ment when the inner compartment is slid out of said sleeve.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 having a top end wall which islifted away from the container when the inner compartment is slid out of the sleeve.

3. A container formed from a single blank of sheet material comprising an inner compartment only one side wall of which is provided with two spaced lines of perforations, wherein said spaced lines are cut through completely, an outer sleeve positioned around the inner compartment and slidable with respect thereto, said outer sleeve being connected to said inner compartment by tab means which are attached to that portion of the side wall of the inner compartment which is bounded by said spaced perforations, said tab means forming a wall between the said side wall of the inner compartment which is connected to the tab means and the said outer sleeve and said bounded portion of the side wall being movable References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/ 1960 Hackmyer.

7/ 1961 Hackmeyer 229-44 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, GEORGE O. RALSTON,

Examiners. R, PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER FORMED FROM A SINGLE BLANK OF SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING AN INNER COMPARTMENT ONLY ONE SIDE WALL OF WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH TWO SPACED LINES OF PERFORATIONS, AN OUTER SLEEVE POSITIONED AROUND THE INNER COMPARTMENT AND SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, SAID OUTER SLEEVE BEING CONNECTED TO SAID INNER COMPARTMENT BY TAB MEANS WHICH ARE ATTACHED TO THAT PORTION OF THE SIDE WALL OF THE INNER COMPARMENT WHICH IS BOUNED BY SAID SPACED PERFORATIONS SAID TAB MEANS FORMING A WALL BETWEEN THE SAID SIDE WALL OF THE INNER COMPARTMENT WHICH IS CON- 